UConn on attack to fix offensive struggles

Updated 12:05 am, Sunday, February 10, 2013

"With the snowstorm, you have the opportunity to look at some different stuff," Ollie said on Friday's conference call. "I'm sitting here, going through the stats, and we're shooting too many 3s. Last game against St. John's, we counted, and we missed 17 layups. That's unbelievable."

Offensively, the past week has been a struggle for the Huskies, particularly early in games. UConn enters Sunday's noon matchup at Seton Hall having scored just 35 total points on 13-for-61 shooting (21.3 percent) in the first halves of its past two games.

Ryan Boatright, UConn's second leading scorer, endured his worst individual performance of the year Wednesday, converting just 1-of-8 field goal attempts while contributing to UConn's botched-layup tally. After a blistering December -- Boatright shot 58 percent from the field from Dec. 7 through Jan. 8 -- the electric sophomore has come back to earth. In his past seven games, Boatright has made good on just 36 percent of his field goal attempts, including just four of his last 20.

"I just think he needs to attack the basket more," Ollie said. "We've been playing against zones, and it's not just him. It's not just Ryan. We all have to attack the basket more. The last two games we've shot a combined 55 3s."

Seton Hall (13-10, 2-8 Big East) will likely rely on a 2-3 zone to slow the Huskies. It seems, though, that the Pirates will be without their top defender and leading scorer, Fuquan Edwin, who suffered an ankle injury during a 23-point performance in Monday's loss to Pittsburgh. A long 6-foot-6 junior who led the nation in steals per game (3.0) a year ago, Edwin sprained his right ankle with 7:38 remaining. He scored half of Seton Hall's points that night, but just three after the injury.

"Fuquan is out right now," Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard said on Thursday's Big East conference call. "If he can go (Friday), we'll judge it Saturday. But right now, it's doesn't look good. But I really can't tell for sure because he's had some injuries that he's had so far this year that's he's bounced back. But we've got to see how well he heals."

The Pirates have lost four consecutive Big East games. With Edwin hobbled, they succumbed to a late 16-7 Pittsburgh run and, two days prior, dropped a tight 65-59 decision against No. 24 Cincinnati.

"It all comes down to a few possessions here and there," Ollie said. "They're 2-8, and we could easily be 2-8. We could easily have a better record than we do have, because it comes down to the possessions late in the game. (Seton Hall) is a dangerous, dangerous team. We don't want them to start rolling on our watch."

Instead, UConn (15-6, 5-4 Big East) hopes to shore up its first-half offense and close out a soft portion of its conference schedule with a fourth win in five games.

"We're doing some good things; I'm not about to jump off the ledge," Ollie said. "But we have to score better. We can't shoot close to 30 percent and expect to win consistently in the Big East. It's the mindset of confidence, coming up with some new plays against the zone and then it's just attacking and believing -- that's what it all comes down to."